Tag: Brooklyn Bazaar

RSVP HERE: The So So Glos Play Farewell Show at Brooklyn Bazaar + MORE

Welcome to our weekly show recommendation column RSVP HERE – your source for the best NYC shows and interviews with some of our favorite local live bands.

The So So Glos are the quintessential New York City punk rock band. Formed in 2007 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn by brothers Alex and Ryan Levine with drummer Zach Staggers (who they met in pre-school), The So So Glos have shaped the DIY music scene first hand over the past decade. They co-founded and resided in the venues Market Hotel and Shea Stadium, have released three full length records, gone on countless DIY tours and toured in support of Titus Andronicus,  Diarrhea Planet, Desaparecidos, and more. In anticipation of The So So Glos playing one of the final shows at Brooklyn Bazaar Friday 11/29, we talked with Alex and Zach about how the DIY scene has developed over the past decade, their favorite records to listen to on the road, and where to get the best slice in and outside of NYC…

AF: How is the state of the DIY scene different now than when you first started So So Glos in 2007? How do you think things will progress going into the next decade?

Alexander Orange Drink: It’s been quite a trip to see the DIY scene transform over the past decade. When we started out, it seemed like there were very few DIY spaces where rock ‘n’ roll was welcome. It was way more of a noise rock, (dare I say pretentious) – artsy scene. Despite so many venues closing and an ever changing NYC, I think some aspects of the underground have become way more inclusive for all types of people and artists. If we were in any way a part of helping that move forward I feel grateful.

AF: You’ve toured extensively over the years, what was your favorite band to tour with? Favorite city/non-NYC DIY show space? What’s your favorite tour story?

AOD: There’s been so many friends and extended family who we’ve toured with. It’s impossible to pick a favorite! So many hospitable venues and staff that have welcomed us. The Bottle Tree in Birmingham, AL was always a great place to roll through. They’ve got really cool trailers backstage. One time we got assaulted by the Britney Spears entourage, another time we got strip searched at the border and once my medicine was confiscated in Germany.

AF: What are your favorite records to listen to on the road?

AOD: Modern Lovers, She’s So Unusual, 2Pacalypse Now, The Specials (first album), The Idle Wheel, Songs of Leonard Cohen, too many more…

AF: Where’s the best place to get a slice of pizza in NYC? Where’s the best place to get a slice of pizza outside of NYC?

Zach Staggers: This is a much debated topic for any New Yorker and there are many exemplary spots to get a slice. That said, any pizza experience has as much to do with the environmental factors surrounding the slice. For instance, if you stop at New Park for a slice after a idyllic day in Rockaway, then, at that very moment that is the best slice in the world. Or, say if you are in the godforsaken hell zone of the low to mid 30’s on the west side of Manhattan — Pizza Suprema becomes your messiah. Perhaps, it’s just a beautiful day in the neighborhood, where Rosa’s of Ridgewood provides my staple, comfort pizza. But all this said for the record I like to rep the Margherita slice with the infamous sesame seed crust at Ciccio’s on Avenue U. It’s a little known pizzeria and doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Outside of New York? While there are good slices in Philly and some other select cities I will plead the 5th.

AF: What are your plans for 2020?

AOD: New music coming. Also… pizza!

RSVP HERE for The So So Glos, Wild Yaks, Cumgirl8, Knucklehead & SUO (DJ set) @ Brooklyn Bazaar. All Ages / $13.50

More great shows this week:

11/29 Darkwing, Sleep Leans, Shadow Monster @ Our Wicked Lady. 21+ / $10 RSVP HERE

11/29 Beach Rats, Speedy Ortiz, Restorations, American Trappist, Well Wisher @ House of Independents (4-year anniversary). All Ages / $4-$10 RSVP HERE

11/30 Hank Wood and The Hammerheads, Warthog, Subversive Rite, Dollhouse @ Brooklyn Bazaar (last show!). All Ages / $15 RSVP HERE

12/3 New Myths, Katya Lee + Special Guests @ Berlin. 21+ / $12 RSVP HERE

12/3 + 12/4 The Rapture @ Music Hall of Williamsburg. 18 + / $30 RSVP HERE

12/3 Sloppy Jane, Sweet Baby Jesus, Water From Your Eyes @ The Dance. 18+ / $10 RSVP HERE

12/5 Tallies, Honey Cutt @ Alphaville. / 21+ $10 RSVP HERE

12/5 Grim Streaker, A Deer A Horse, Luggage, Shop Talk @ Trans-Pecos. $10 / All Ages RSVP HERE

RSVP HERE: Bethlehem Steel Play Trans Pecos + More

Welcome to our weekly show recommendation column RSVP HERE – your source for the best NYC shows and interviews with some of our favorite local live bands.

Bethlehem Steel released their sophomore self-titled record on Exploding in Sound Records September 13th and have been on tour since. They are set to return to Brooklyn this Sunday 11/24 with a show at Trans Pecos with Ben Seretan, Sinai Vessel, and Lightning Bug. Bethlehem Steel formed in 2012 as a trio consisting of Becca Ryskalczyk on guitar/vocals, Jon Gernhart on drums, and Zephyr Prusinski on bass. Their second record features singer/guitarist Christina Puerto, who toured with Bethlehem Steel around their debut record Party Naked Forever. She was asked to join the band full time and contributed to the songwriting process of their latest release, resulting in a more empowering record that lyrically grapples with “being taken advantage of, or abandoned or fucked over.” We chatted with Bethlehem Steel about their favorite tour stories, the challenges of long haul touring and why you need to watch out for pizza prices in California…

 

AF: You’re finishing a super long tour supporting your self titled record out now on Exploding in Sound. What was your best show, favorite city, and favorite animal you’ve met on the road?

BS: Our best show was in Seattle. It was good to cross paths with Pile mid-tour and we had a great time playing with them at Chop Suey. Favorite city would have to be Austin because we got to swim in a lake under the stars at our friend’s house after the show. Our favorite animal(s) we met on tour were Brody and Griz. Griz is a big friendly cat and Brody is a little blind chihuahua and they both live with our good friends Brian and Brenda in Minneapolis.

AF: What are the challenges and advantages of a seven week tour?

BS: Not getting sick is definitely a challenge, as is dealing with the very long drives, and being so far away from home for so long. But playing this many shows in a row is a really good opportunity to work on the live performance aspect of things, and visiting friends and making new ones all across the country is always a wonderful thing.

AF: What is your favorite thing to do on your days of? What do you listen to in the car?

BS: We usually end up going to a thrift store to look for nutcrackers. We also like to do movie scene re-enactments, and will almost always try to find any type body of water to swim in. As far as car listening, Pat puts on this playlist he made called “Pat the 80’s” a lot.

AF: When you get a flat tire, who’s the first person to try to fix it? When your van breaks down, who cries the most?

BS: We have a Tacoma and it does us good.

AF: Any other crazy stories?

BS: We each payed $9 for a slice of pizza in Sacramento. We didn’t see the prices until it was too late.

RSVP HERE for Bethlehem Steel with Ben Seretan, Sinai Vessel, and Lightning Bug @ Trans Pecos Sunday 11/24! ALL AGES / $10

More great shows this week:

11/22 Eaters (Armonica Set) with Greg Fox, David Watson, Michael Shea, Kate Mohanty @ Trans Pecos. All Ages / $10 RSVP HERE

11/22 88Palms, HRY FLWR, Safer (single release show) @ The Broadway. 21+ / $12 RSVP HERE

11/22 + 11/23 Crumb, Divino Niño, Shormey @ Music Hall of Williamsburg. 18+ / $26 RSVP HERE

11/23 Fraidycat (Reunion Show), True Dreams (Album Release), Wooing, PowerSnap, @ Alphaville. 21+ / $8-$10

11/23 NY Night Train Soul Clap & Dance Off, Nobunny, Gnarcissists @ Brooklyn Bazaar. All Ages / $15 RSVP HERE

11/25 Nicole Yun (of Eternal Summers), Coltura, Desert Sharks, Queue @ Baby’s All Right. 21+ / $10 RSVP HERE

11/26 Military Genius, P.E., A. Savage (of Parquet Courts), Strange Magic (DJ Set) @ Alphaville. 21+ / $10 RSVP HERE

11/27 M.A.K.U. (Record Release), Salt Cathedral @ Sultan Room. 21+ / $12 RSVP HERE

RSVP HERE: A Deer A Horse Play Brooklyn Bazaar + MORE

Welcome to our new weekly show recommendation column RSVP HERE – your source for the best NYC shows and interviews with some of our favorite local live bands.

This week A Deer A Horse are supporting The Art Gray Noizz Quintet featuring Lydia Lunch for one of Brooklyn Bazaar’s final shows. The Art Gray Noizz Quintet features Stu-art Gray Spasm of Lubricated Goat joined by members of Live Skull, Woman, Cabbages & Kings, Twin Guns and more; playing a set of all “unreleased collaborations and bastardized classics.” A Deer A Horse are perfect openers with their melodic 70s punk meets post rock sludge. They are constantly touring so don’t miss the opportunity to see them while they’re in NYC! We asked ADAH a few questions in anticipation of their show this Wednesday 11/6…

AF: What are your top 5 bands to see live?

ADAH: Daikaiju (they light their instruments on fire while they are being crowdsurfed around the room, they’re fucking insane).

Ono (when they perform you are transformed from an audience to a congregation and Travis is your preacher. You will follow him wherever he goes).

Minibeast (intense, relentless noise rock from providence, memers of Mission of Burma).

Blacker Face (soul, r&b mixed with aggressive noise rock, some of the most inventive shit we’ve seen in a hot sec).

No Men (you’re dancing so hard that you don’t realize you’re worshipping Satan, these heathens rule).

Black Midi (fresh operatic noise weirdness from far far away, best band we saw at SXSW).

Listen… so we know we already did six here, but also s/o Big Business for melting our faces off for a week in August! When they play the song “Horses” Coady leaps out of his seat to slam the cymbals as hard as he can at the end of the song and it’s fucking amazing.

AF: I read somewhere that The Shining is one of your biggest inspirations. What’s your favorite scene from The Shining and has that film influenced your live show?

ADAH: I think you must have misunderstood the article… We could care less about that terrible piece of drivel, we worship instead, The Shinning. It’s a true masterpiece, a horror classic, The Shining pales in comparison to The Shinning. And who could forget those words repeated into the ether “No TV and no beer make Homer something something”? Chilling.

AF: If you could ask Lydia Lunch anything, what would it be?

ADAH: Lydia Lunch is one of the most prolific artists out there.  I mean seriously, just scroll through her credits on Wikipedia, the list goes on and on. It’s insane how much she’s accomplished! We’re all creative people, but Lydia is on another level; it’s both inspiring and intimidating. So I would definitely like to know where she feels her drive to create comes from.



RSVP HERE for Art Gray Noizz Quintet feat. Lydia Lunch with A Deer A Horse and Conduit on Wednesday, November 6th @ Brooklyn Bazaar. All Ages / $10-12

More great shows this week:

11/2: Deli Girls, Murderpact, Safe Word, Beak Trio @ The Broadway. 21+ / $12  RSVP HERE

11/2: Pinc Louds (4-year anniversary), Los Cumpleaños @ Market Hotel. All Ages / $15 RSVP HERE

11/2: Goth Prom III:  Parlor Walls, Whiner, Daily Therapy, Meganoke, The Sewer Gators, Holy Wisdom LLC @ Rubulad. All Ages / $8 RSVP HERE

11/4: Swanky Tiger, Nihiloceros @ Mercury Lounge (early show). 21+ / $8 RSVP HERE

11/5: The SpeLcast Live Variety & Medicine Show @ The Living Gallery. All Ages / $5 entrance and hand writing analysis / $1 sense of humor, spells and tinctures / free bandaids RSVP HERE

11/5: Dead Tooth, Karaoke Mood Killer (tape release), Should’ve, Johnny Dynamite @ Alphaville. 21+ / $10 RSVP HERE

11/5: Jenny Slate @ Town Hall, NY Comedy Festival. All Ages / $41 RSVP HERE

11/5: White Reaper, The Nude Party, Wombo @ Bowery Ballroom. 18+ / $15 RSVP HERE

11/6: No Swoon (Record Release), Big Bliss, Wooing @ Union Pool. 21+ / $10-12 RSVP HERE

 

INTERVIEW: Women That Rock @ Brooklyn Bazaar

Last week on Friday the 13th at Brooklyn Bazaar, Women That Rock put together their first GIG LIKE A GYRL summer extravaganza showcasing women in punk rock & other DIY music scenes, women of color and LGBTQ+ artists & musicians. The stacked lineup included GYMSHORTS, Sharkmuffin, Sister Munch, Monte, Lady Bits, Strange Parts & DJ Jess Louise Dye (of High Waisted), and you also could have gotten your first Friday the 13th tattoo, take goofy (or spooky) photos in the PhotoBooth, and browse through the special pop-up night market featuring apparel, jewelry, art & more creations by local female artists.

We chatted with some of the bands who played below about everything from their bands spirit animal and their favorite release this year to what they would like to change about society today…

Gymshorts

What’s your bands spirit animal?

Our bands spirit animal is andy milonakis!!

What’s your favorite single/ep/album to come out in 2018 so far?

lalalala just released a song/video off their new album thats coming out in september and its fucking awesome! Its called destroyer and the album is called the lamb!!!

 

Monte

What was the last CD you ever bought?

Well, I recently bought a CD from this awesome band from Vermont called Clever Girls!  

What’s your favorite NYC venue to play & why?

A lot of the venues I used to love playing no longer exist, but I used to have a lot of fun at Trash Bar.  It was the right amount of grunge, grit, and grime for a Brooklyn punk centric venue. Currently, the new Knitting Factory BK is my new favorite venue.  The room is large,the sound is great and the staff is friendly. All good vibes from the knit!

Monte’s debut single out July 20th!

Lady Bits

If your band were to replace the cast on any television show, which show would it be?

Arrested Development:

Krishanti – Lucille 2

Adriana – Maeby Funke

Kat – George Michael Bluth (I like the way they think…)

What is your favorite part of playing live?

There’s a different energy every time we play, which makes it exciting. The room, the stage, the crowd, the other bands – all of these elements contribute to our performance and make every song feel new and special. Everyone is lost in the moment together at the same time, and it’s exhilarating to create that space.

Stange Bits

If your band were a fast food restaurant, which would it be?

  • Strange Parts is definitely an Arby’s. My bandmate Corey has written several books on the chain and has the hat tattooed on his chest.

What do you think the most important thing that should change in our society/culture right now? 

  • erase all borders

  • dismantle the prison industrial complex

  • pay women of color fair wages

  • eliminate single-use plastic

 DJ Jessica Dye

What’s your favorite meme?

What EP/Album are you most excited about being released in 2018?
The new Sunflower Bean record won my heart over. So in love with “Twenty Two in Blue”

 

NEWS ROUNDUP: Brooklyn Bazaar, Stranger Things, & Green Day

stranger-things-xmas-lights1

  • Brooklyn Bazaar Is Reopening

    It seems like every week we’ve been reporting that a venue is opening or closing – usually closing. This week, we have some good news regarding the Brooklyn Bazaar. The beloved Greenpoint event, which featured live music and vendors, is reopening in September at the cross street of Manhattan and Greenpoint Avenue. As well as housing a music venue, the new space will be open every night of the week and feature a restaurant, four bars, and an arcade. The bazaar will officially open on September 9th with a Clap Your Hands Say Yeah show. Check out the show calendar here.

  • Listen To The ‘Stranger Things’ Soundtrack

    As well as being a freakin’ awesome and addictive show, “Stranger Things” has a surprisingly catchy soundtrack (when characters aren’t singing along to “Should I Stay Or Should I Go,” of course). It was created by the Austin synth duo Survive, aka Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein. Need something to listen to while you ponder what’s hiding behind your walls? Stream the soundtrack via Apple Music below.

 

  • Hey, Remember Green Day?

    Speaking of nostalgia, Green Day is back with a new track and lyric video. A quick review: it sounds very much like Green Day is supposed to sound/notable, puzzling lyrics are “I got my photobomb/I got my Vietnam” and “I want to be a celebrity martyr.” Watch below: